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The School Library Association (SLA), working with DEMCO Interiors, created the SLA Library Design Award in 2010. This year, the award is being revamped and re-launched as the SLA School Library Inspiration Award, with Gresswell and LFC as main sponsors.

Our wish is that the award supports the aims of the SLA in raising awareness of the value of school libraries.

(PRWEB UK)14 January 2014

The School Library Association (SLA), working with DEMCO Interiors, created the SLA Library Design Award in 2010. This year, the award is being revamped and re-launched as the SLA School Library Inspiration Award, with Gresswell and LFC (part of DEMCO Europe family of companies) as main sponsors. The award will be made annually to the school library space that shows inspiration, innovation, creativity and resourcefulness in its library design and in use, either through creative use of specific products or promotions. The Award was created to set future standards for the recognition of excellence in school library design.

What matters is not how big the school library space is, but what it has achieved with the available resources and the challenges it faces.

The award is open to any school library space whatever; there is no requirement to belong to the School Library Association or to have used DEMCO, Gresswell or LFC products.

The winning entries will have the opportunity to spend a substantial sum on products for their library from Gresswell and LFC. Prizes will be awarded in both Primary (LFC Sponsored) and Secondary (Gresswell Sponsored) sectors. The winner will be announced at a high profile School Libraries Celebration Day ceremony on Monday October 6th 2014 at Hotel Russell, London.

Nominated schools will be judged initially from the submitted nomination online form and supporting photographs or video to create a shortlist of possible winners. There may be a call for more detailed information for those libraries likely to be shortlisted. Members of the independent judging panel, who will make the final decisions as to the winning entry, may then visit the school library spaces on the short list.

Nominations for the 2014 SLA Inspiration Award are available to be submitted on the websites as below, along with guidance notes on how to prepare an effective nomination.

Chris Johnson, Brand Manager, Gresswell, said: ‘Gresswell are proud to be working with the School Library Association in our sponsorship of the inaugural School Library Inspiration Award. We hope that this will become as respected to school librarians as their Library Design Award, from which this award has been developed for 2014. Gresswell shares in a belief of the importance of a library space to a school; our wish is that the award supports the aims of the SLA in raising awareness of the value of school libraries and the promotion of reading, and hope that the entries will provide inspiring ideas that can be shared to other schools.’

Selina Dawkins, Brand Manager, LFC, added: ‘The School Library Inspiration Award offers primary school libraries and librarians the chance to shine and be recognised for their efforts in shaping children’s attitudes towards reading, both for educational purposes and reading for pleasure. For this very reason LFC are delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor such an award especially in conjunction with the SLA who share our passion for reading and the provision of school libraries for all children and young people.’

Gresswell and LFC are library education specialists within the Demco Europe family of companies.

The SLA supports the role of the school library as a place 'to support reading and learning through the key stages and to foster a reading and information culture to promote independent, motivated readers and learners for life'. As suppliers of specialist resources to school, academic and public libraries, Gresswell and LFC are committed to a focus on the benefits to a school of a library space and is working with the School Library Association to support, encourage and promote these spaces.